Brassieres



C M. SACHS BRASSIERES Filed Sept F|G 4 Charles M. Sachs FIGB. 2 i fig ATTORNEY FIGS.

United States Patent Ofihce Efihififi Patented Nov. 20, 1962 3,064,654 BRASSIERES Charles M. Sachs, Dover, DeL, assignor to International Latex Corporation, Dover, Del., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 18, 1959, Ser. No. 840,907 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-500) This invention relates to brassieres having an increased service life.

Brassieres are usually formed with cups adapted to accommodate the breast and have body-encircling bands that are in part made of elastic frabric and which fasten around the back of the wearer. In the conventional brassiere the elastic fabric tape lies in full contact with and rubs against the body of the wearer and absorbs all the substances given off by the normal skin, such as perspiration, body oils, sebaceous exudates, etc. The fatty body oils and sebaceous exudates soften and plasticize the rubber and make it tacky and non-elastic. In time, the softening and loss of elasticity of the rubber eventually cause the tape to fail.

My invention is a brassiere that incorporates a special type of elastic tape'that has a reserve component of elastic which makes no contact with the skin, in such a way that the elastic portion of the brassiere, which is often the part that fails first, has 'a greatly increased capacity to resist attack by the body oils and other exudations. Thus, the brassiere has a significantly increased service life. At the same time, the mechanical arrangement of the invention provides the strength of a heavy tape and the flexibility of a light tape, so that firm girth-wise holding power is provided while allowing easy freedom in flexing.

The tape used in this invention is'a compound elastic tape of two plies of elastic tape superimposed on each other, one ply being Wider than the other, the plies being integrally united by means of an interweaving along their central, median line. The interweaving results in a single, unitary elastic tape one portion of which is Wider than the other portion. The elastic tape is a woven elastic fabric in which the warp comprises both elastic and nonelastic warp threads and in which the weft is commonly formed entirely of non-elastic weft threads. A more complete description of the compound tape and its method of manufacture is to be found in copending application S.N. 809,013 in the name of Frederick E. Geary, entitled Woven Elastic Fabric, filed April 27, 1959, and now abandoned.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a rear view of my brassiere wherein the wide ply of the compound tape is on the outside;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary rear view of my brassiere using the compound tape with the narrow ply on the outside;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a short length of the compound tape used in this invention;

FIGURE 4 is an end view of the compound tape showing the construction of the tape;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the tape; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view showing the interweaving of the compound tape.

FIGURE 1 depicts my brassiere from the rear. The central or front portion of the brassiere is indicated at 18 and the breast cups by 19, all of which may be formed of fabric pieces which are stitched together. Extending laterally from the central or front section 18 are bodyencircling bands 16, the ends of which are attached to short lengths of compound elastic tape. It is noted that the compound elastic tape is equal in width to the corresponding part of the body-encircling bands 16 to which the compound elastic tape is attached, and that the wide ply 11 of the compound tape faces the outside. The

shoulder straps are shown as 17 which connect by means of slidably buckles 20 to short strap loops 21. The front of the body-encircling bands comprise elastic tapes 22 to the top of which the fabric of the breast cups is sewn. The hooks 14 cooperate with the eyes 15 to fasten the brassiere around the body of the wearer. However, other fastener elements, for example buttons, snaps, or zippers may be used in place of the hooks and eyes. By making the compound tape equal in width to that part of the body-encircling band to which it is attached, any stresses which are placed on the compound tape are transmitted evenly and Without distortion to the band so that undue wear and tear of the band is avoided.

FIGURE 2 discloses a fragmentary rear view of my brassiere showing the compound elastic tape with the wide ply 11 making contact with the wearers body and the narrow ply 12 facing the outside. Fastening means, such as hooks and eyes are shown at 14 and 15; the bodyencircling band is shown as 16 and shoulder straps as 17.

FIGURES 3, 4, and 5 show the compound elastic tape comprising a wide ply 11 and a narrow ply 12, the marginal portions of which are free from each other while the central portions thereof are interwoven to form an integrally united structure. It is to be noted that the compound elastic tape is interwoven along the central line 13 only. This feature allows the compound elastic tape to stretch longitudinally as a single unitary element and yet at the same time allows the two sections or plies to stretch independently of each other with a diagonal upward or downward component, the center line acting in the manner of a pivot. When the compound tape is stretched and curved within its own plane, much in the same manner as when a fan is spread out, no tendency is observed of the outer edges to bunch, which tendency would occur if the two plies were of equal width. The compound elastic tape in addition to providing a longer life thus allows extreme flexibility in stretching in all needed directions.

FIGURE 6 shows the interweaving of the two elastic bands along the central or median line 13. The wide ply is shown as 11 and the narrow ply as 12.

In the construction of a brassiere, it has been found necessary to provide an elastic portion in the body-encircling bands so that the garment will remain snug and yet not be unduly tight as the wearer inhales or exhales or changes position, which movements all tend to vary the girth-wise length of the brassiere around the body. A particularly favorable place to provide elastic is at the bottom center of the garment between regions where the ends of the shoulder straps are attached to the rear of the body-encircling bands. More specifically, a particular ly favorable arrangement has been found to be the provision of two lengths of elastic tape in that region, with suitable fastening elements attached to the two free ends of these lengths of elastic tape.

In the normal manner of use, a brassiere is positioned upon the body of the wearer and fastened by grasping the ends of the two above-mentioned elastic lengths of tape in the rear and stretching with some force to bring the two fastening elements together. This act of stretching places a considerable strain on the elastic tapes. In wear, the changes in position of the body of the wearer subject the elastic tapes to extension and relaxation many times throughout the day and this repeated stretching of the elastic tapes eventually causes the rubber strands therein to lose their elasticity. The life of the brassiere is also shortened very considerably by attack of the body oils and exudations upon the rubber threads of the elastic tape, which oils and exudations originate from the skin contacting the brassiere.

The present invention provides the needed elastic and does so in a way which greatly extends the service life of the elastic and thereby of the garment. My invention consequently will not be deteriorated as rapidly.

as makes use of a particular form of elastic which gives a reserve elastic componentto achievethe extended life. My invention also avoids the abrupt, thick edges that would undesirably show as bulges under the clothing of :the wearer if two-plies or layers ofelastic tape of equal width were used. This taperhavingone wide ply and one narrow ply not only has the advantage of greater strength and more flexibility butalso retains the thin outline of asingleply tape, and thus helps preserve the gracefully contoured lines vvhichare so much in favor in currentfashions.

At the same time, the configuration of the/invention leaves the elastic portion of the brassiere .w;ith -.a combinationrof a fully adequate ability to flatten out uniformly and yet also to provide ease of'pivoting or irockingto accommodate to muscle. fiexion and other :movements.

In the usual brassiere havingonly aisingle ply of elastic tape, one surface thereof will be; in fullpontact with the body skinot the wearer and'will absorb all of the fatty voilsand other body'exudations. :Thecompound elastic .tapeused in thisinyention, however, has a larger, overall surface area to, absorb thesame amount of bodyoils and Also, when thecornpound tape is used withthe narrow ply on -the outside, the narrow plyis shieldeduby. thewide ply 1 from contacfingthebody at all. The narrow 'ply is thus in efiect held as. a reserve component of. elasticlwhichv in- .creases thelite of the tape. If. the, compound tape is reversed so that the narrow ply-for layer is next to the skin, a large partof the widetply that is,athe part lying fiat against the narrow ply, is also shielded from direct contact with the skin so thata reserve component of;elastic is again provided. In either position, the thin-edges of the compound elatsic tape are preserved so that unfl sightly, bulging, thick edges are avoided.

I claim:

1. A brassiere having a pair of breast cups, a pair of body-encircling bands attanhedjo said breast cups and fastening means for holdingthe brassiere around the body -wherein the rear part of abody-encircling band comprises action during exertive movements of the body but allows the free marginal portions of each plyto hingeablymove with respect to said central median line. a

2. The brassiere of claim 1 in which the wide ply of the elastic tape section'faces the outside. 7

References Cited inth e file of thispatent UNlTED STATES PATENTS -2,222,150 Moore 1Noy. 19,1940 2,245,095 NOrdSeth .iune"10,.194l 2,653,323 Ganim Sept. 29, 1953 2,678,446 Fellner 1May l8, l954 2,853,077 Hunaug Sept. 23, 1953 

